Qliphoth

The demon tree  is the crux of the story in Devil May Cry 5.

Story
According to V, the Qliphoth is an ancient demonic tree that existed before the birth of the Underworld itself and, when sufficiently nourished, grows a fruit that imbues any demon that consumes it with divine power. Only one fruit can grow every few thousand years. Trish states the last being to consume the fruit was Mundus, and in doing so he became King of Underworld. Formerly the Qliphoth was prevented from manifesting in the mortal world by the seal placed by Sparda. Cut off from its source of nourishment, the tree did not produce fruit for two thousand years.

The Qliphoth thrives on human blood, and those whose blood it sucks turns into lifeless husks. As a tree born in the Underworld, it is the inverse of trees from the mortal plane: the Qliphoth's branches are located deep beneath the ground, while its thorny roots grow up to the surface and eventually into the sky.

The Qlipthoth has a symbiotic relationship with a species of demons called Empusa, ant-like monstrosities which are sent out to slaughter humans and bring their blood back to the tree's root system. It is also the host of a parasitic species called the Nidhogg. At least one full-grown adult Nidhogg attached to the root system when the Qliphoth sprouted in Red Grave City, and a large number of immature hatchlings were dotted around the city close to weak points of the roots. The adult is described by Nico as having a symbiotic relationship with the tree, but the hatchlings are extremely destructive, voraciously devouring sections of the root system if they can find a suitable point to enter it.

Human and demon blood is concentrated in the Qliphoth's root system in bulging red structures referred to as "Blood Clots," which provide nourishment for nearby roots: without this supply, the roots quickly crumble into white powder. The tree does not appear to be capable of metabolizing demon blood, instead mostly storing it in tumor-like caches that sprout up from the ground near its root system.

As it turns out, the reason why the Qliphoth invaded Red Grave City was because Urizen wanted to feast on the demonic fruit to gain power. It is unclear if Urizen broke the seal himself, or if the manifestation of the Qliphoth is a delayed result of the opening of the Hell Gate on Fortuna.

File

 * Nico's Enemy Report - Qliphoth Roots
 * We're seeing these bundles of Qliphoth roots all over Red Grave. The outer skin on 'em is so thick you'd have to spend hours working on 'em with your sword or gun to cut through. Figures—what other kind of plant would survive in the underworld?


 * Luckily these shrinkin' violets wear their hearts on their sleeves. Look for the pulsating mass of red somewhere within the roots. My theory is that these spots are like hearts, pumping collected blood into the Qliphoth.


 * Well, like any gal knows, if you put your heart out in the open then it's gonna get broke. Take out the pulsating red blobs and the roots should wither.


 * Just try not to think about how much blood they needed to get that big...

Documents - The Qliphoth
 * The Qliphoth is said to be the tree of life that resides in the demon world. It is the source of all life and gathers human blood—the source of demonic power. Once every several thousand years, the tree bears fruit made of this condensed blood.


 * Whoever should eat the fruit gains sovereign power to rule over all. Trish told of a demon named Mundus, who consued one of these fruits to become the king of the underworld. The Qliphoth never bore fruit again after Mundus, as Sparda separated the worlds of demon and man.


 * But now, the border between these worlds is no more, and the Qliphoth is sure to bear fruit once again, I dare say the tree has appeared on the surface for this very reason.


 * The laws of the underworld differ from ours... Unlike the trees of our world, the Qliphoth grows from the surface to the deep underground. If you wish to reach the point where the fruit grows, you must head straight down.


 * And I doubt you need me to tell you what manner of abomination waits below...

Strategy
Qliphoth roots are present in a lot of locations and are usually connected to a Blood Clot, a structure filled with human blood. These roots serve a purpose of being a blockade to the player. And to remove these vile coils, the core (Blood Clot) must be destroyed. After bursting the main source of energy, the roots will no longer be supported and crumble into dust, unlocking the pathway.

Sometimes, the chain of roots could be very complicated and twisted, which are likely to confuse the player. Because of that, always pay attention to which line was destroyed to successfully proceed and not get caught in the demonic maze.

The Qliphoth can also sprout tentacles from the ground to attack the unwary: these tentacles are stationary and can only attack if a player character moves close to them. They will either flail around to deal damage with their spines, or stab with the stinger at their tip. Their weak point is a miniature Blood Clot at their base, and they are very susceptible to long-range moves such as Nero's charged shots, Kalina Ann or Griffon's Flank Attack.

Qliphoth Roots
On Mission 01, a boss titled Qliphoth Roots must be fought in order to proceed. This boss is a massive stationary Blood Clot surrounded by a number of enlarged Qliphoth tentacles, which lack the usual weak point at their base. The only part of the boss that takes damage is the Blood Clot. Nero can use his Buster Arm or Buster on it if it takes damage quickly enough to "stun" it, indicated by it briefly losing its red color.

The boss' attacks do not come from the Blood Clot itself, but from the many tentacles around it: these will sweep the ground or stab at Nero with their scorpion-like stingers. On Son of Sparda difficulty and above, it also gains the ability to spawn Hell Antenoras to defend itself.

Trivia

 * The Qliphoth is the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in the Kabbalah, an esoteric discipline and school of thought in Judaism. They are the opposite of the Sefirot that represent the ten emanations and attributes of God in which he sustains the existence of the universe.
 * Some of mythological references associated with the Qliphoth, such as it having a parasite called Nidhogg, are allusions to Yggdrasil, the world-tree of Norse mythology.
 * Qliphoth roots behave very similarly to the Strange Trees found in Mitis Forest on Fortuna. It is not clear if the demon infestation of that forest was an early incursion of the Qliphoth into the mortal world, or if this is simply how all demon tree roots behave.
 * The fruit that grew from the Qliphoth is reminiscent to the Sephirothic Fruit in Devil May Cry 4.